


Blessing

by weezly14



Series: Time Loop [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-09-30
Packaged: 2017-12-28 02:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weezly14/pseuds/weezly14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or, the time John asked Jackie for Rose's hand in marriage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blessing

**Author's Note:**

> First outtake of many! Requested and beta'd by re-sile.

            “Yeah, I can’t meet for lunch today, actually.”

            “ _How come?_ ”

            “I’ve got a meeting. Very important meeting. Can’t skip it. Sorry.”

            “ _That’s okay._ ”

            “I’m actually—I’ve just arrived so I have to—”

            _“Okay, see you when you get home, then._ ”

            He smiles at that.

            “Yeah. See you.”

            “ _And good luck with your meeting. Love you._ ”

            “Love you, too. Thanks.”

            He hangs up. Gets out of the car. Takes in the Torchwood estate.

            Yeah. He’s going to need all the luck he can get.

\---

            He didn’t tell Jackie why he wanted to talk to her, just that he did. And could he come by during the day, when Tony was at school? (And Rose at work.)

            When he told her not to tell Rose—or anyone—about it, he could practically _feel_ the raised eyebrow through the phone. She agreed, though, which was all that mattered.

            He walks to the front door, holding a jar of jam (he tends to bring Jackie gifts when he visits—bribes not to smack him). She’s definitely warmed to him over the past few months, but still. Mums scare him generally and, being that she’s Rose’s mum, he’s even more terrified. The stakes are always higher with Rose.

            Jackie answers the door and he gives her the jam and she smiles that smile she reserves for when he gives her his bribe gifts, and invites him in.

            “How’s Tony?” he asks, fidgeting.

            “Good. And my daughter? You’ve not come ’round in over two weeks.”

            “We’ve been, ah, busy.”

            This is a lie, of course.

            Well.

            Whenever Rose suggests they go visit her mum he distracts her with things that Jackie will _never_ know about, and then, oh, look at that, too late now, Rose, we’ll have to go another day.

            Jackie raises her eyebrow at him but doesn’t comment.

            (In his defense they _lived_ with Jackie for over a month.)

            She’s walking to the sitting room and he follows her, hands shoved in his pockets.

            “So, what did you want to talk about, Doctor?”

            She’s much nicer to him since—not that she was ever mean—well at the beginning she might’ve hated him but that was—but ever since—but still—

            “Well,” he starts.

            He maybe should’ve practiced this.

            “Go on, then, spit it out.”

            “Well, the thing is, Jackie.”

            Why is this so difficult?

            “You know that I—that I love Rose, very much, and—”

            “She’s not pregnant, is she?”

            “What? No.”

            Is she?

            _Focus_.

            “No,” he repeats, shaking his head.

            “Good. Didn’t seem likely she’d send _you_ to make the announcement, anyway.”

            He thinks he should be insulted, maybe. He presses on.

            “What I’m trying to say, Jackie, is that I love your daughter. And I—”

            There’s no reason this should be so difficult.

            He shoves his hand into his trouser pocket and pulls out a box. Sets it in front of her.

            “What’s this?” she asks, opening it. He doesn’t answer.

            Silence.

            “You’re—”

            He fidgets.

            “You—”

            He nods.

            She launches herself at him, wrapping him in a hug and he’s so alarmed and shocked he doesn’t even have time to shrink away before she’s planting a kiss on him—on his _lips_ for goodness sake—and she’s crying, too, and this was _not_ the reaction he expected.

            “My little girl is getting married!” she cries as he wipes his lips with the back of his hand.

            “Well, she’s not said yes, yet.”

            “You daft man, do you really think she’ll say no?”

            No, but that’s not the point.

            “I haven’t asked her yet. I wanted—”

            Jackie is wiping at her eyes and looks at him intently.

            “I wanted to ask for her hand—I want your blessing. If you’ll give it.”

            He doesn’t need it, he knows. Rose is an adult, and so he is, and they don’t need anyone, much less her mother, to approve of their relationship, but he _wants_ her to. And as much as Jackie scares him, as much as they sometimes butt heads, he knows she loves Rose fiercely, and knows that so much of who Rose is comes directly from being raised by Jackie. More than that, he respects Jackie, because she raised Rose—brilliant, wonderful, perfect Rose—all on her own. He doesn’t _need_ her blessing. But he wants it.

            “Oh, Doctor.”

            She’s smiling softly at him, and it’s both unnerving and reassuring at once.

            “Of course you have my blessing. I know I give you a hard time, but I just—she’s my daughter. One day you’ll understand.”

            His heart stutters in anticipation. God, he hopes so.

            She picks up the box again. Looks at the ring.

            “It’s lovely.”

            He nods.

            “How long have you been thinking about this?”

            “Months.”

            “Before the accident?”

            He nods.

            She tears up again. He shrugs.

            “I hadn’t—it took a while. I find that.” He motions toward the ring in her hand. “I wanted to—I had a hard time finding the perfect one.”

            “She loves you. And I know you’ll take care of her. If I had any doubts, well—you took care of her. And you make her happy. Jimmy Stone was always trouble, and I love Mickey to pieces, but—you’re good for her.”

            He smiles.

            “Oh, come here,” she says, standing up and pulling him in for another hug. Then she smacks him—lightly, but still.

            “Oi! What’s that for?”

            “That’s for keeping my daughter away for two weeks, don’t think I don’t know what you get up to, Doctor, I’ll see you both here for dinner on Friday, you hear?”

            “Yes, Jackie.”

            “Good.” She smiles. “Now, go on, then. See you Friday.”

            He puts the box back into his pocket.

            “Yeah. And, thanks.”

            He smiles.

\---

            He drives to the shop Rose tends to favor for lunch and sneaks up behind her.

            “Hello,” he says, wrapping her arms around her.

            “Hi,” she says in surprise, turning to give him a kiss. “Thought you had a meeting.”

            “Ended early,” he responds as he steals a chip.

            “Good.”

            He kisses her again and then sits down across from her.

            “Did it go well?”

            He can feel the box in his pocket. He grins.

            “Yeah. It did.”


End file.
